The Walkers: The Return
by annamorphos
Summary: As Bella adjusts to her life as a Walker, an old enemy forces her to confront a past long forgotten. Sequel to The Walkers.
1. Prologue

The plane touched down on the tarmac of the Jacksonville airport, and as he felt the wheels hit that bit of hallowed ground, Edward expelled a breath that he had been holding subconsciously for almost six months—figuratively. Just being in the same city as his beloved was enough to fill him with a sense of relief. Regardless, that tiny piece of satisfaction was miniscule in comparison to the fear that had integrated into his posture, expression, and overall demeanor.

Alice had not been able to _see_ Bella since her eighteenth birthday party, and the fact that he couldn't see what had befallen her since he had cruelly forced her from her home had damn near driven him insane. When he had felt as though the gravity of all his loneliness and madness would crush him into the very center of the Earth, Jasper had made an off-handed remark, something that many of them had considered but had never expected Edward to do.

_Why don't you just visit Jacksonville and see if she's okay? _

It was so simple, so obvious, and yet, Edward had chosen to think about it for a month before fully committing to it. Then again, there were other factors that had practically made his decision for him. He still felt guilty, though. While he had convinced his family that he was here strictly for her protection, he couldn't deny to himself that one of the reasons he was seeking her out was to assuage his own guilt and feed into his need for her. For that was what she was for him. A need. Her longevity and happiness were all that sustained him. Graduating from high school, going to college and having a long and happy life with… someone else… a _human_ someone else was all he wanted for her. Of course, there was a darker, private area of his being that wanted nothing more than to find her, confess his sins and beg her for her forgiveness—and for her love.

How could she love him after finding out what he had done, though? The lies, the intentional cruelty, all for the sake of keeping her safe. How could anyone love him? He shrugged away the dark thoughts but they came back. They always came back.

As the plane turned on the runway and followed the designated path to the terminal, Edward closed his eyes and let his mind wander. Through the endless blur of thoughts and chatter around him, he found the crisp, clear memories of his last days with Bella and shuddered with horror. No matter what he said or rationalized, there was no excuse for the roughness with which he had treated her, no reason for the cruelty he had shown her.

_He could not believe that he had been overruled. How many times had he been forced to uproot himself because Emmett had had another "accident," or because Carlisle's coworkers had grown a bit too suspicious, or Rosalie decided to murder her ex-fiancé and his friends? However, the first time Edward had requested a change of residence, the one time he needed his family to understand without question, they had refused him. After he had succeeded in ripping out his own heart and leaving Bella in the woods, they had refused to allow him to retreat into the darkness. There was nothing more he could do but bite the bullet and endure the fallout from his actions._

_But there had been no fallout, primarily because there had been no Bella. Not immediately, anyway. Each class, Edward anxiously watched the door, expecting her to appear at any minute, pining for just the sight of her. When that didn't happen, and the school day ended without an appearance of his love, he panicked. What if she had never made it out of the woods? What if a bear or mountain lion had discovered her and mauled her? No. Carlisle had been on call that night. If anything had happened to her, he would have most certainly been informed. Wouldn't he? Of course he would. Then where was she?_

_Alice noticed the telltale signs of his anxiety and silently mocked him for it, proclaiming that he had no right to worry about Bella. He had no right to even think of her after what he had done to her. _This is what you should live with, _she had thought, and although Edward tried to ignore her, the truth behind her words had already taken purchase in his mind. _

_It wasn't until her third absence in a row that Edward discovered that she was alive. As he sat in his English class, which was precisely twenty feet from the main office, he heard the unmistakable sound of the attendance office phone. It had a unique ring and always had a talent of capturing his attention, much to his irritation. _

"_Forks High School. How may I direct your call?" Ms. Cope said brightly. After a moment of silence, she continued. "Oh, hello, Chief Swan. How's Bella doing? Still under the weather?" Pause. "All right, well if she needs any of her homework sent home, let us know and we'll see that she gets is."_

"Edward, let's go." Alice stood over her brother and glared at him. There hadn't been many positive moments shared between the siblings in the past six months. He blamed himself for it and was right to do so. "Rosalie and Emmett are waiting for us at the baggage claim."

Carlisle, Esme and Jasper were lingering behind her, each of their thoughts focused on something. Esme was anxious to see Bella again and to apologize for remaining distant, Jasper was afraid of what Bella would say to him as he felt it was his actions that had kick-started the whole mess, and Carlisle, although he tried to hide it, he was worried about Edward. The Cullen patriarch feared what would become of his son should Bella rebuke his apology and order him away. He had almost lost Edward before during his rebellious streak, and he would be damned if it would happen again.

The four of them exited the plane without retrieving anything from the overhead compartment. There was no carryon luggage for the Cullen family, just as there was no luggage for them to gather from the spiraling claims kiosk. They had boarded the plane with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Still, as they walked as quickly as they could manage under the watchful eyes of the humans, they made their way to the baggage claim.

The Cullens' reunion with Rosalie and Emmett was not a particularly joyous one. While there were small hugs and light smiles exchanged between the couple and their surrogate parents and sister, they had nothing but contemptuous glares and angry thoughts for Edward.

Even though Rosalie had been initially sated by Edward's decision to leave Bella to live out her human years, when the repercussions of his actions had found their way into the halls of their home, she had cursed him, called him every name in the book, and finally, she and Emmett had left under the guise of needing "alone time." No one would say it out loud, but it was apparent that the couple blamed their leaving on Edward.

While Carlisle filled in Rose and Emmett about the most recent events, Edward glanced at the people around him. He could almost envision Bella coming to Jacksonville, ready to start over, willing to forget him.

_Edward inclined his head down as the smell he had become so accustomed to overwhelmed his senses. He had watched her approach through the minds of the other students, noticed how she had paused in front of his Volvo. He was deeply troubled by the haunting sadness that had overtaken her features, as well as the dark cloud that seemed to hang over and shroud her. She had been so quick to believe his lie in the forest, so quick to dismiss his affection for her. For a moment, he had questioned if she had ever loved him as much as her loved her. One look at her told him how foolish he had been to doubt her. She was suffering as much as he was. _

_Each step she took closer to him both thrilled and terrified him. What was he to say? How was he to explain his presence in Forks? He had promised that she would never see him again, that it would be as if he had never existed. Emmett had been correct in his assessment; he was the mother of all asses. _

_He did not need Alice's psychic ability to track his beautiful Bella through the school hallways. Her footsteps had always been a different timbre than the rest of humanity. It was a soft padding, occasionally punctuated by a stumble. His ears instinctively picked up on it and he couldn't help but smile. _

_Speaking of Alice, she had been stewing over Edward's decision all night long, as well as dreading what was expected of her… what she had stupidly agreed to do. She was willing to go through with it for Bella's safety and to assuage her husband's guilt, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. She had made it abundantly clear, though, that she would never forgive Edward for what he had coerced her into doing. After a few additional moments of mulling over the conversation that she had had with Edward the night prior and trying to find some other alternative, she growled softly and left the room. _

_Through his sister's eyes, Edward watched as Bella approached and saw the smallest Cullen bent over at the water fountain. Alice, not sure how to react to the presence of the best friend she wasn't supposed to speak to, returned to the classroom without acknowledging her. Although he was visibly relaxed and undeterred, on the inside, he was an emotional wreck and practically on the edge of his seat in anticipation. He had to see her. He had to know that she was okay. _

_She was far from okay. _

_The first thing that hit him was her smell. Although the overwhelmingly sweetness of her blood dominated her scent, there was an undercurrent of human filth that he had become accustomed to in the general public. Never from Bella, though. She had always taken her hygiene very seriously, and yet, as she trudged into the classroom, a subtle odor of sweat and grime accompanied her. She had not bathed in a few days. On top of that, Bella had lost weight. While she still resembled her old self in certain areas, her collar and cheek bones jutted out sharply, giving her much stronger features. How was that even possible in a week? Had she had nothing to eat since her birthday party?_

_She took her normal seat next to Edward and Alice, and they sat there in one of the most awkward silences the three of them had ever experienced. He watched her from the corner of his eye, knowing that he should say something to her, try to explain why they were there to begin with. But what could he say? _

_Finally, when it felt as though he would explode with all the tension coursing through him, Edward swallowed his pride and turned to her._

"_Bella?" He tried to speak softly, but he noticed how she flinched when he spoke and cringed when her eyes fell on him. Another piece of his heart broke as he realized that she was afraid of him. The girl who had willingly loved him, despite him being a soulless monster, was finally afraid of him. He had always insisted that she should have been afraid of him. Now that she was, he was far from satisfied, far from justified. He was sad. "I'm sorry, I know our being here must seem…unexpected."_

_She stared at him for a moment before mumbling, "I…uh…um. Yeah, I was starting to question your definition of 'not existing.'"_

_The sarcasm and hostility in her voice were so uncharacteristic of the Bella he knew that it took him a moment to respond. Alice was thoroughly entertained by it. _

"_Yes, well, Carlisle applied to take part in a ten month research study involving breast cancer. It's not nationwide or anything, but it would attract undue attention if he suddenly pulled out. So, we're here until the end of summer." _

"_Oh" was her only response. Edward wasn't sure what else he expected. _

_That was a lie. He expected her to yell at him, curse him, and call him every name in the English language. Most importantly, he wanted to her to say that she never wanted to see him again. But that didn't happen. Instead of bending to Edward's expectations, she leaned over her notebook, her posture hunching forward and seeming like she was crumbling before his eyes. Edward felt his decision falter as he beheld her, tiny and quivering like a wet leaf._

"_Bella?" He said, so many words tumbling through his mind. _I love you. What I said in the forest was a lie. I did it to protect you. You've disappeared from Alice's visions and we don't know why. Please understand that I can hardly breathe without you. _However, as Alice looked for her future again, only to be met with a void of black emptiness, he felt his resolve and his features harden. "My being here certainly doesn't change anything."_

_Her mouth dropped open slightly, and after a few seconds of merely staring at him with a mixture of horror and disappointment, she responded, "I never said it did."_

"I assume _he_ told her we were coming," Rosalie said with the same scowl she had reserved solely for Edward these last few months. He all but confirmed her suspicions when he said nothing in response. "So what are we going to do? Drop in on her unannounced? In what reality is that a good plan?"

"There wasn't any time," Alice insisted.

It was partially true. They had only had enough time to drive to the airfield in Port Angeles and pay an off-duty pilot a large sum of cash to fly them to Sea-Tac International. Still, Edward knew that there had been ample time to dial Bella's Jacksonville home phone number and inform her of the circumstances. There was no other excuse for his inability to do so—other than cowardice that is. He was scared to death of what Bella would say to him. She would have every right to blame him for his actions, as well as his continued involvement in her life. It was his fault that they were in Jacksonville to begin with. It always came back to him.

While Carlisle and Esme relayed their intention of speaking to Renee and Phil, Edward tried to consider what he would say to her, how he would explain his presence. How on earth could she forgive him, especially after what he had done to her?

_School had become a source of unending torture for Edward. Each day, he was forced to ignore Bella, pretend that she wasn't beside him in every single class, and it was killing him. Each time she left the room under the guise of going to the bathroom, his advanced hearing provided him with a symphony of her pain as she cried in the bathroom and moaned his name. He tore into the underside of the desk and bit the back of his own hand, spilling some of his venom down his forearm. The pain was miniscule in comparison to the agony he felt in response to her anguish. He wanted to run to her, to share in her suffering and help her carry the burden—but he didn't. Like the martyr he was, he endured the pain with hopes that it had a greater meaning. Bella would mourn the loss of their love, but she would move on. That's what humans did, after all. They grew and evolved. His kind was not as fortunate. They were stuck, frozen in time. Never moving forward. _

_Alice, meanwhile, was steadily losing her mind. The sounds of Bella crying alone brought back a series of hidden memories, memories she had tried hard to suppress. After James had admitted to knowing Alice, she had gone on an expedition to find out more about herself. From the information she gathered, her father had institutionalized her and then faked her death. Even though she had no memory of it, a sense of abandonment encompassed her and it took everything Jasper had to offer to bring her back from the brink. Now, as she listened to her best friend, her sister cry her eyes out and deteriorate before her very eyes, she couldn't help but draw comparisons between her human self and Bella. Just as her father had abandoned her, so they were abandoning Bella._

_It was particularly hard one morning when Bella chose to approach Alice. _

_Having grown tired of Edward's self-flagellating rationale for their distance from Bella, Alice exited their English class and walked to the water fountain. As she feigned drinking, Bella's scent overwhelmed her, filling Alice with sorrow and elation. _

_From behind her, a tiny, pitiful voice said, "Alice? Please talk to me. I need you, Alice… more than ever."_

_With that, Alice turned and stared at the girl she considered to be her best friend in the world. How much she wanted to wrap her arms around the human, hold her tight and promise that everything would be okay. She desperately desired to wrap her hands around Edward's neck and shake some sense into him. Bella didn't deserve any of what Edward was doing to her. She deserved so much better. At that moment, Alice realized that Edward was right… kind of. Bella deserved to be among friends who would not try to devour her should she get a paper cut. She didn't deserve to live in fear of nomadic vampires. _

"_You said I was like the sister you never had. Did you mean it—or were you just trying to make me feel welcome when I really wasn't?"_

God damn you, Edward. Damn you to hell! _Alice screamed in her thoughts. _

_Once again, Alice looked into Bella's future, hoping against all odds that whatever issue was preventing her from seeing her would resolve itself. Unfortunately, it was the same. The same darkness. What could it mean other than Edward's theory of their presence causing her eventual death? Alice couldn't let Bella die. She couldn't. She wouldn't. _

"_Why won't you speak to me? Alice?"_

Edward shuddered and pushed the memory away for the time being. It would be back, though.

The rest of the Cullens were still in heavy discussion, which made Edward very agitated. They couldn't afford to linger in the airport for very long, not with what was coming. As he waited on the outskirts of the group, watching the humans maneuver around them while they simultaneously looked on with interest at the attractive group, he noticed a group of teenagers perched at a table inside a sandwich shop. One of the boys had his arm around a girl, and they were both laughing. Edward felt his face contort in agony as another memory came roaring back.

_Alice was one hundred percent sure that her brother had finally lost his mind. She had never been sure if insanity was possible for their kind, but Edward all but confirmed her suspicions. As she approached their shared lunch table, ready to endure another lunch without the presence of her friend and sister, she was stunned to see Edward already at the table. Lately, he'd taken to shadowing Bella's footsteps unconsciously. Without even realizing it, he would leave his classroom late and amble through the hallways, his path eventually landing him right behind Bella. The two of them appeared as twins, trudging through the hallways in a perpetual state of mourning. So close and yet so far apart._

_Today was different, though. When Alice crossed the cafeteria, she was startled to see that Edward was not alone at the table. For a brief millisecond, his sister rejoiced that he had finally come to his senses. However, as she noted that Bella's hair was not the shade it should be, and the large mass of student bodies shuffled out of her way, she was horrified to find none other than Jessica Stanley sitting at her table. Sitting in Bella's seat. _

_Alice stopped in the middle of the cafeteria and glared at her brother, mentally demanding to know what he was doing. _

"_You were right, Alice," Edward said, speaking at a decibel that was impossible for Jessica to hear. "She won't let me go until she hates me. I have to make her hate me. This is the only way."_

_Alice shook her head. "You're… I can't believe you would even consider this, Edward. Jessica is Bella's friend. Couldn't you have at least picked someone she doesn't know? This is wrong and you know it."_

"_I need your help just once more," he pleaded. "I can't watch her die, Alice. Please, help me save her. I don't want to do this. I take no pleasure in pushing her away, but it's the only way to keep her safe. You do want her safe, don't you?"_

_As she had so many times over the previous weeks, Alice tried to look into Bella's future. She looked for anything and everything—a glimpse, a feeling, a shadow, anything—but as per usual, she was met with darkness. What could it mean? Why had Bella simply vanished? She was still alive. It didn't make sense. Alice hated being confused, almost as much as she hated when Edward was right, and although she wasn't entirely convinced he was right, her worry for Bella superseded her common sense. She hung her head, took a seat beside Edward and Jessica and silently begged Bella to forgive her._

"_What should I do?" Alice asked in a hollow voice, their conversation still remaining outside of Jessica's detection._

_Speaking of Jessica, she had continued to ramble on, completely oblivious to what was happening around her. She was thrilled that Edward had come to his senses and realized that they were meant to be together. The girl wasn't an entirely terrible person, though. As she sat there, chatting Edward's ear off, she wondered if he was doing this just to make Bella jealous. The image of Bella, the girl who had gone out of her way to ensure she and Mike had ended up at the dance together, made her feel guilty and remorseful. Everyone had seen how the breakup had hurt her. The last thing she needed was one of her friends taking her place at Edward's side. She stopped speaking momentarily and considered getting up and leaving. What she was doing wasn't right. If their positions had been reversed, how would she have felt?_

_Edward heard the tenor change in her emotions, and so his plan would not fail, he draped his arm around her shoulders, further bringing her back into his web. He quickly reminded himself that it was to protect Bella. That was justification for it, right?_

"_Laugh as though Jessica has said something funny," Edward told his sister quickly. He could see Bella approaching the cafeteria with a determined look on her face. _

The Cullens piled into a rented SUV and sped toward one of the hotels in downtown Jacksonville. A tropical storm had rolled in a day earlier, so the sun was blotted out by a thick blanket of clouds. It was difficult not to equate the look of the city after a heavy rain with the sleepy, rainy town of Forks. As Edward gazed out the window, he couldn't help but wonder if Bella had made the comparison. Did she miss him at all? Had she thought about him? He had thought about her. Every second of every minute.

After about ten minutes of driving, they pulled up to a hotel, and while Alice ran in to check-in, Edward idled by the car with Carlisle.

"Is everything all right, son?" Carlisle implored, and when Edward didn't answer, he prodded further. "Talk to me, Edward. Tell me what's on your mind."

Edward exhaled heavily. "What if she doesn't forgive me?"

"She will." There was no little confidence in his words.

His son grew more frustrated. "But what if she doesn't?"

Carlisle paused and regarded his son for a brief moment, before answering, "I have no answer for you, son. At least, none that will sate you. I am not gifted as Alice is and, therefore, am ill-equipped to give you an informed response. I will say that from all I've learned about Bella, she has never struck me as someone who would be anything but forgiving. I watched the two of you throughout your courtship, and I saw nothing but love. I do not believe a love like yours would vanish in the process of a few months. I cannot believe that."

The last of Carlisle's words were spoken softly, much more to himself than to anyone else.

Edward found little comfort in his father's words. If Bella forgave him for his sins, there was no guarantee she would still love him and want him in her life. Even if she did, the road to happiness would be one paved with suspicion and resentment.

_Charlie's fist came down heavily on the Cullens' front door three times, and when there was no stirring from inside, he continued. He had respected Bella's wish for him not to interfere for as long as he could, but now that his daughter had practically ran away from that boy, the gloves were coming off. Who did he think he was? Being rich didn't entitle anyone to treat others like garbage, especially when those "others" included the police chief's daughter. He banged the door again. After a minute or so, he heard a noise from inside, a latch unlatching and a lock unlocking. As the door peeled back, he was met with the familiar face of Dr. Cullen. _

"_Hello, Charlie," Carlisle greeted him warmly, albeit sadly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

"_I need to talk to your boy, Dr. Cullen," Charlie responded gruffly, his eyes wandering over the blond man's shoulders, anxiously looking for the source of his daughter's heartbreak. "Where's Edward?"_

"_I'm afraid Edward's not here," Carlisle said, closing the door behind him and squaring his shoulders. Of all his children, he was particularly protective of Edward. He was his first born, after all. A threat to Edward was enough to turn calm, collected Dr. Cullen into a different person. "Is there something I can help you with?"_

_Charlie glared at him. "Are you aware that he left my daughter alone in the woods? She got lost trying to find her way out and it was hours before someone found her. She could have died out there."_

_The Cullen patriarch was not prepared for this. Dr. Gerandy had informed him that he had gone over to the Swan residence in the middle of the night, but he hadn't been specific on the details, and nothing he had said had suggested something significant had happened. Then again, Carlisle had also assumed that, had anything significant happened, Edward would've told him. Had Edward felt too guilty to share what he had done? _

"_I was not aware, Charlie. Thank you for telling me. I will be having words with my son. I'm very sorry for his actions. Please extend my apologies to Bella."_

"_I'm afraid I can't do that," Charlie said, and when Dr. Cullen offered him an imploring frown, he added, "She's gone to live with her mother in Florida."_

_Carlisle was simultaneously horrified and sympathetic—but he was also angry. He considered Bella a member of their family, and one of Carlisle's cardinal rules was that family came first. Edward had willingly put Bella in danger by leaving her in the woods, and whatever he had done to her had been devastating enough to force her to leave. He was steadily growing more and more furious. _

_Meanwhile, Charlie continued, "I don't even know why I'm here, Doc. I just thought Edward should know that she's gone. She left because of him. I know that break-ups are a part of young peoples' lives, but what your boy did to my daughter after ignoring her and all that...well, it isn't right."_

"_I agree with you. It isn't right. Please understand that my son's actions do not reflect the views of myself and the rest of our family. We love Bella very much and will miss her. As for Edward, I have no idea what possessed him to treat her so poorly. I will find out, though, and he will atone for what he's done. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Charlie."_

They had been in Jacksonville for three hours already, and Edward was no closer to seeing his Bella than he had been back in Forks. He stood at the window and stared out at the city skyline, wondering where she was and what she was doing. It was Spring Break for the majority of schools in the United States. Had Renee and Phil taken her to the beach? On a road trip? Maybe she went somewhere with friends, or with… someone special.

He took a deep breath as he thought about Bella and some other boy—a human boy. He would kiss her, whisper sweet nothings to her, court her, take her to dances, treat her to dinner, and then, one day, he would make her his wife. Something deep within him stirred at this prospect, an uncontrollable rage that did not fade away. He wanted her; he needed her. All thoughts of her finding a human match went out the window, and instead, he found himself thinking of the two of them sharing immortality together. He laughed derisively at the foolish thoughts circling around his mind. There was no way Bella would offer him a second chance. As he turned away from the window, he silently began to prepare himself for the impending rejection. It was going to hurt.

From the next room, Edward heard Carlisle's phone beep, and he saw the text message in his father's thoughts before Carlisle had a chance to read it aloud. The Denalis' flight had been delayed. The soonest flight they could secure was scheduled to leave in a few hours, which meant they would not arrive until the following morning. For the time being, the Cullens were on their own.

"I think it's time to call Bella. We need to make sure she knows what's coming," Alice said, refusing to look at the others. She felt inadequate and lost without her visions, castrated almost. Timidly, she looked over to her brother. "There's no telling where Victoria is."

_Victoria. _Even the thought of her name filled Edward with a hateful rage. Hours earlier, Laurent had appeared on their steps and informed them that she had found him in Alaska. She had seemed completely harmless, feigning remorse for her actions the previous spring. However, when Irina had let it slip that Bella was no longer in Forks—something Rosalie had apparently shared with her—the look in Victoria's eyes had changed significantly. Knowing her as well as he did, Laurent followed her south before hurrying to inform the Cullens.

"You're right," Edward conceded, and he fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Hold on there, lover boy," Emmett responded, his hand resting on Edward's shoulder. "I don't think you should be the one to call her."

"Why not?" Edward asked, affronted.

"No offense, bro," he said, holding both hands up as Edward growled at him, "but you two didn't exactly leave on the best terms. I think she might be more open to hearing what we have to say if it comes from someone who wasn't a complete dick to her."

In spite of the absolute crassness of his argument, Emmett had a point. Edward pocketed his phone and closed his eyes, nodding in appreciation of his brother's uncharacteristic wisdom.

"Who should call her, then?" Alice asked, and Edward heard her mentally take herself off the list. She was certain she was the last person Bella would want to hear from. Well, maybe the second to the last. "Carlisle?"

Carlisle shook his head. "It should be someone she wouldn't expect to hear from. The person she feels dislikes her the most and has nothing to gain from helping her."

Without much hesitation, six of the Cullens turned and stared at their seventh member. Rosalie.

She rolled her eyes and swept her blonde hair over her shoulder, before retrieving her phone from her back pocket and asking for Bella's phone number. Once Edward had recited the number, she put the phone to her ear and started to pace. She stopped, however, when it became apparent that Edward was shadowing her every move. She was about to snap at him when a click on the line caught her attention.

"_Hello! You've reached the former mailbox of Renee and Phil. We've moved to North Carolina. Our new phone number is 919-555-5678. Thanks for calling!"_

Rosalie disconnected the call, and while the Cullens began debating this new turn of events, she took it upon herself to dial the new number.

It rang once. Twice. Three times.

Finally, moments before the fourth ring, a cheerful voice, which Rose recognized as Bella's mother said, "Hello?"

"Is this the Dwyer residence?" Rosalie asked politely.

"Yes. It is," Renee responded, still upbeat. "Who is this?"

"I'm a friend of your daughter's from school," Rosalie said. "Can I talk to her?"

An uncomfortably long pause followed, and for a moment Rose wondered if she had lost the connection.

Finally, Renee's broken voice returning and muttered, "I'm sorry. You must have the wrong number. I don't have a daughter."

In all her perfection, Rosalie felt something inside herself shift, and at the same time, all discussion in the hotel room ceased immediately. Rose didn't turn. She didn't want to show the weakness that polluted her appearance to be seen, nor the fear and regret that was on the verge of consuming her. Knowing that Edward could hear her thoughts, and Jasper could feel her emotions, she pushed them down to the pit of her stomach and tried to focus.

"I really need to speak with Bella. It's very important. Please, Renee."

"I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong number." _Click._

Rosalie stared at the phone for a few seconds, wanting nothing more than to take her frustration out on the tiny piece of technology. Instead, she placed it on the table and turned to face her family. Each of their faces reflected her own suspicions and fear. None more than Edward.

He turned away from his family and collapsed into a chair, his hands pulling at his hair angrily. "What have I done?"

"Edward, we don't know that she's…" Esme trailed off and sat pensively for a moment. "Maybe she and Renee had a falling out. You know how independent Bella is. Maybe her mother put restrictions on her that forced her to leave."

Edward remained where he was, like a statue dedicated to misery and self-loathing.

Jasper, who had been staring at his phone for the last few seconds, suddenly interjected, "This is strange." All of the Cullens, minus one, turned to him. "I texted Jenks earlier and asked him to find any and all information pertaining to Bella. He just got back to me and said he couldn't find anything."

Emmett snorted. "How much do we pay him again?"

"No. You don't understand," Jasper continued. Edward's head rose and the look on his face matched his brother's confusion. "Jenks couldn't find any trace of a Bella Marie Swan anywhere—ever. No birth certificate, school records, driving license, nothing. It's almost as though she never existed."

_It'll be like I never existed. _His own words echoed back to Edward, causing him to cringe.

"What does that mean?" Alice demanded, her voice rising as was typical when she began to panic. Jasper sent calming waves to her, but they hardly dented the surface. "How can she just disappear like that?"

Carlisle took a deep breath. "Let's focus on what we know to be true. Bella did, in fact, move to Jacksonville to live with her mother. If she isn't living with Renee, there's a chance she might still be here. Alice. Edward. I want you two to visit her school. Ask her classmates if they've seen her. Do you still have a picture of her, son?" It was a pointless question. All the Cullens had seen his Bella shrine back home. He pulled out a picture of her from her prom. "Good. Show that around and see what you can find out.

"Esme and I will scour Bella's old residence and speak to the neighbors. While we do this, Rose, Emmett, I need you to track any scents that are familiar." Carlisle paused and exhaled, turning to his oldest son. "Jasper, we're in the South. This is your domain. You need to talk to any land owners. The higher up the better. I refuse to believe that she's dead. She's alive—and we're going to find her."

"Excuse me? Have you seen this girl?"

Another student glanced at the picture before denying having ever seen Bella. It was difficult for Edward to remain cordial when so many of the teenagers seemed absolutely apathetic to the fact that she was missing. Some of them didn't even bother to look at the picture, and Edward came close to tearing them limb from limb right there.

He sat at one of the tables and pinched the bridge of his nose. The lunch hour was almost up and he was no closer to finding Bella. Alice was beside him, and her irritation matched his own.

_I don't understand it, Edward. She was a student here for almost six months! How can none of them know her? Didn't she make any friends?_

Edward had no answers for his sister, so he merely sat there in silence, trying to tune out the sounds of the vast ocean of hormones and sweat. Somewhere in the distance, however, among the static, something caught his attention. He tilted his head up in time to see them. Three striking individuals were making their way toward him. Two males and a female. He alerted Alice to their approach and cautioned her. They were vampires.

They stopped three feet from the table, and while the two males waited, the smaller female took a seat across from Edward.

"I heard a rumor circulating around the campus and I just had to come see it for myself," she cooed in a soft voice. The rims of her contact lenses were starting to burn away, and Edward was treated to a glimpse of her red irises. "Who are you and why are you here?"

Edward arched an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing. Is this your hunting ground? A little conspicuous, don't you think?"

She paused for a moment before smiling broadly. "You're not from around here, are you?" Edward and Alice were silent. "You don't have to speak. I can tell you are new. That's all right. We don't mind tourists in this neck of the woods. Although, I must ask that you remain discreet. We wouldn't want any _unwanted _attention." She snickered at her own private joke. "So what brings you to our little corner of the world?"

Edward sat in stoic silence, refusing to be interrogated by a vampire he could take down on his weakest day. However, Alice saw it differently. Considering Bella smelled better than most humans, it would have been nearly impossible for vampires on campus to not notice her. Is that what had happened to her? A shot of horror cut through Alice as she wondered if Bella had been killed—or changed. She quickly pushed that thought away. Bella was a survivor.

She pulled out Bella's picture and slid it across the table before Edward could object. "We're looking for someone. Have you seen her?"

"Alice!" Edward hissed.

_Do you have any better suggestions? _Alice glared at him before continuing. "Her name's Bella. We just need to talk to her. She moved here about six months ago. Have you seen her?"

The female picked it up, and the moment her eyes fell on the picture of Bella in her prom dress, she immediately dropped it. A hiss exited her lips and she was on her feet instantly. Edward and Alice watched in shock as the two males hurried to her side and started asking her questions in Spanish. She silenced them. Edward attempted to get a look at her thoughts but they were too jumbled, too unclear, and what he could decipher didn't make sense.

"What is it?" Alice asked quickly. "Have you seen her? Where is she?"

The female leaned forward and pointed to the picture. "How do you know her?"

"She's my friend from school," Alice answered, and after weighing the pros and cons, she added, "and she's his mate."

"Mate?" The female began to laugh at Alice's response, but when she finally stopped, she looked genuinely interested. "I never knew that was possible. Seems like the definition of conflict of interests, if you ask me."

Alice had quickly reached impatience. "Do you know where we can find her?"

The vampire breathed out heavily and looked at the picture again, her right upper lip curling into a sneer. Edward sensed a twinge of familiarity in the girl's thoughts. She hadn't just seen Bella; she knew her, intimately.

With that knowledge, he curled his fingers into a fist and rose form his chair. He was quite tall and easily dwarfed the vampire who was only slightly taller than his sister. She measured his height with her eyes, and although she realized that he was bigger, her trust in her own manservants was enough to retain her smugness.

"As a matter of fact," she said cheerfully. "I do. I know exactly where _she_ will be tonight."

Half an hour later, the Cullens were back in the hotel room. Each of them were quiet as Edward and Alice rehashed what they had been told by Cristina, the she-vampire on the high school campus. Carlisle and Esme seemed concerned that there were vampires hunting at the school, but knowing that they were strangers, they knew there was little they could do about it. After all, the Cullens were not super heroes, and the last thing they wanted was a war with the southern vampires.

"She said that Bella will be at this place called _Sanguis_," Edward explained and Jasper's face fell. "What is it?"

"I've heard rumors that the southern vampires have opened nightclubs for our kind," Jasper informed them. "They're only open for one month before they are relocated and renamed, always a name that has to do with blood. Terrible things happen at those places. Blood baths, mass feedings, awful things."

He wouldn't say it out loud, but Edward heard him regardless. If Bella was going to one of these clubs, it was not going to end well for her.

Sensing the tension that coursed through the room, Carlisle inquired, "Do we know where it is?"

"Cristina said she will take us there. We're to meet up with her at midnight, by the docks," Alice said. She hated the idea of putting her trust in someone they didn't know, but there was no other way. The idea of Bella at one of the awful blood parties terrified her. They had to find her. "Apparently, our relationship with Bella has made her curious."

"Very well," Carlisle said, nodding. "We'll be there. Jasper? Did you find anything today?"

"Yes. I found… well," he paused before continuing. Jasper was always so confident. It bothered Edward to see his brother so riled. "It's best if I show it to you."

Dressed in clothes that were cheap and probably came from the local homeless shelter, the Cullens made their way to the underground entrance that Jasper had found earlier that day. He had insisted that they wear clothes that were unobtrusive and inconspicuous, but when asked why, he gave no excuse other than asking them to trust him. It had taken every one of them to convince Alice and Rosalie to shed their designer shells and cloak themselves in, as Alice put it, rags.

Down at the base of a ditch, he led them to a large, metal door, which appeared to lead straight into a large dirt heap. Upon opening it, however, they discovered a long corridor, ripe with the smell of spilt venom and blood, both human and animal.

"What is this place?" Alice asked, taking a step back.

Jasper reached out and took her hand, offering her a loving, reassuring smile. "It's a passage way of some kind. A way for vampires to travel through the city. There are entrances like this one all over the city." He turned to Edward. "There's even a couple that go to Jackson High School."

Edward swallowed. "Let's go."

With that, Jasper led them slowly through the labyrinthine terror that was the underground vampiric transit system. As they moved, they could see and hear several horrible acts taking place. A woman screamed and reached out for them before being taken down by three newborns, who then proceeded to rip her apart. Edward wondered in horror if that was what had befallen his Bella. If it was, he resolved to destroy every vampire in the city before destroying himself.

After just under a minute of running, the sounds of commerce and voices began to grow louder. There was a light at the end of their path, and it seemed to be getting brighter with every step. As they stepped through the threshold, all six of the Cullens gasped.

They had come to what appeared to be the heart of the tunnels, and situated there was some kind of market. As their eyes scoured the many tables, they saw everything from jars of blood, to CDs, to electronics, clothes, and even, they were abhorred to find willing humans being sold into slavery.

"What is this place?" Esme asked, the shock and horror evident in her words.

Jasper answered, "I asked around. They call it 'Market Days'. It's a time for all the vampires to make money."

"Why did you bring us here?" Edward asked between his teeth.

"I'll show you."

Cutting a way through the many vampires engaging in commerce, Jasper led them to one of the back corners where a vampire was selling clothes. Hanging on a metal rack was a long, black pea coat. It was one that Jasper was very familiar with, as he had been drug along on the shopping trip during which it was purchased. He knew it wasn't simply a copy either. Alice had monogrammed Bella's name on the inside. As Jasper opened it up, and sure enough, Bella's name stared back at them in bright blue lettering.

"I wanted to monogram it in pink," Alice responded bleakly, reaching out and stroking the letters spelling out her best friend's name, "but she wouldn't let me. She said if she couldn't control her wardrobe, she was at least going to control what color of the monogramming."

Curious about the attention being showered on his wares, the seller approached and inquired what they were looking for. Before any of them could ask the necessary questions, Edward leaned forward, wrapped his fingers around the man's throat and pulled him over the makeshift counter. The vampire hissed angrily, drawing the attention of those in the immediate area. Jasper, anxious by the spectacle his brother was causing, used his gift to calm Edward's nerves as best he could, which caused Edward's grip to relax enough for the vampire to escape.

"Please forgive my brother. He's young," Jasper insisted, pulling out a few hundred dollar bills and handing them to vampire in compensation. "We need some information about your wares."

The vampire looked defensively at the Cullens for a few moment, before pocketing the money and giving Jasper his undivided attention. "I acquired them all legally. I didn't kill anyone."

"Fair enough," Jasper said, his eyes pouring over the racks of clothing. He pointed to the black coat. "Where did you get that coat?"

"It was sold to me," the vampire responded, somewhat affronted. "I offered a fair price, not that the seller was very interested in money. She traded it for something else."

"She?" Edward's ears perked up, but Jasper silenced him with a sharp look.

"Who was the seller?" Jasper inquired further.

At that, the vampire narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why are you asking me these questions? What are you looking for?"

"A friend of ours went missing," Jasper explained. Edward wasn't comfortable sharing such intimate information with a complete stranger, but then again, no one was asking his opinion. "This belonged to her. Do you remember the person who sold it to you?"

Surprisingly, the vampire's demeanor did a complete turn. He didn't look suspicious or afraid; he looked remorseful. "I remember. Man, look, if _she_ had your friend's coat, then the only thing I can offer you is my condolences. No one survives an encounter with _her_… or any of them for that matter."

"What are you talking about?" Edward demanded angrily, and when the vampire said nothing more, he ripped his way through the counter. "Who are you talking about? Where can I find her? Tell me!"

"You don't know what you're asking," he muttered and started packing up his wares. When Edward stopped him from doing so, the vampire bared his fangs. "Leave me alone, or I'll tell the lords."

_Edward, back off. The last thing we need are the landowners coming down on us. The Volturi are tame in comparison. We will find Bella, but we have to be careful, _Jasper mentally chastised.

Reluctantly, Edward pulled away and returned to his family, leaving the man stunned. Meanwhile, Jasper tried again to get information out of the man.

"The person who sold it to you," he started again, using his ability to convince the man to divulge his secrets. "Do you know where we can find her?"

He shook his head, and Jasper could detect the truth behind his words. "I have no clue. A piece of advice, though. If you value your life, you won't go looking for her."

Two hours later found the Cullens back in their hotel room, discussing what had transpired in the catacombs beneath the city. Edward was leaning against the wall, trying not to rip the entire building to shreds. They were no closer to finding Bella than they had been at the start of the day. Where was she? How was it that she could have simply vanished in the course of a few months? As his family went over all the information they had gathered from Bella's old neighbors, the students at her high school, and the vampire in the market, Edward began to slip further into despair.

"What exactly are the landowners?" Emmett asked when Jasper referenced them for the third time.

Carlisle was the one to answer. "The Southern Vampire Wars were territory disputes. Each section of the land is divided up among a group of powerful vampires. There are some cities—I'm assuming Jacksonville is one of them—that are shared between many. They have newborns and seasoned vampires at their disposal. It isn't unthinkable for them to have power over the local government, either. All you need to know is that they're powerful, influential, and very petty."

"Why don't we ask them if they've seen Bella?" Emmett prodded.

Jasper shook his head. "There's no telling what they would do. It's likely they might help us track her down just to get us off their land quicker. However, they could very well kill us on the spot."

Carlisle added, "It's also possible they could start hunting Bella, simply because they know we're looking for her."

Emmett lowered his eyes and his frown deepened. He couldn't imagine his little B living in such a violent place. Then again, he knew she was a fighter. There had always been a little fire behind her eyes. Whenever she wasn't around Edward, anyway. He quieted when he realized his brother could hear everything. _Sorry, bro. It's just something I noticed. _

"We have to do something," Edward said angrily, ignoring Emmett and his thoughts. The room went quiet as all eyes fell on him. "I know that you're all mad at me for one reason or another. Right now, I honestly don't care. The only thing I care about is finding Bella."

"I know, Edward," Jasper said sympathetically. "We want the same thing, but we're at a bit of a disadvantage. Maybe if we could find something with her scent, we could find a tracker to help us, but we haven't found anything. I have Jenks checking the stoplight cameras around the city to see if he can find her. Right now, though, we have nothing to go on."

"What about that club? _Sanguis_?" Alice pointed out. She was sitting cross-legged on one of the beds and had remained silent up until then. Edward had watched as she had attempted to look into Bella's future, only to be met with same darkness. "I think we should check it out. She could be there."

"It could also be a trap," Jasper retorted. "You can't trust our kind here. They live by a different code, Alice."

She ignored her mate's negativity. "I can't explain it, but I feel like going there is the right path. I'm not saying it's a vision or anything remotely connected to it. It's just a hunch."

While the Cullens began to argue amongst themselves, Alice looked to Edward and shared with him what she was feeling. His eyes narrowed in confusion at what he experienced. It was a compelling pull, telling Alice that this nightclub was where they were meant to be. The idea of not going there was so detrimental, it was unheard of. How could that be, though?

Edward had never been one for blind faith. After living for over one hundred years and seeing miracles debunked by science and logic, he had come to rely on fact. This was one of the reasons Alice presence was necessary for him. Her talent provided him knowledge when he desperately needed it. When she had become blind to the future, it had shattered the bedrock of her being, and Edward had been right there with her.

"You can all do what you wish," Edward said suddenly, earning the silence from his family as well as their open mouthed stares. "I'm going to this… nightclub to see if anyone knows anything about Bella. You can come with me, or you can stay here and wait for the Denalis to show up. I don't care. I have to do something. The longer I sit here, the longer she may be out there."

They were all frozen, as still as statues. No words, no breath, no signs of life emanating from them. As the moments ticked on, their thoughts awakened and started shouting at him. Half of his family was with him to the death, while the other half were still hesitant. He didn't care. He was going, regardless of their feelings on the matter.

"I don't care if you come with me or not," he said, cutting off their mental monologues and diatribes. "You can all sit here and keep arguing for all I care. I also don't care what you think. Bella's alive. I can feel it. I can feel her. She's alive, and she's still in this city. I will find her and I will bring her home. If you're with me, then we're leaving in four hours. If you're not, then I advise you stay out of my way."

_Sanguis_ was an old, abandoned warehouse on a bad side of town. The structure was relatively intact, but the foundation was showing signs that a collapse was imminent. In the shadows, the Cullens could hear a multitude of foul deeds taking place, and although their moral compass tried to direct them to help, they were in no position to do so. They needed to be discreet, so as not to attract too much attention to the fact that they were from out of town. Instead, they turned away and tried not to notice the screams for help resonating from beyond the darkness.

The door was guarded by a massive, dark skinned vampire with bright red eyes. He accepted the roll of money Jasper handed to him and eagerly welcomed them. For a moment, Edward detected a slight bit of suspicion surrounding their eye color, but as a brawl broke out in the line to get in, the vampire's thoughts changed.

The dance floor was a cesspool of bodies undulating to the rhythm of the pounding bass, and when the red strobe light passed over, Edward could have sworn he was staring at the gates of Hell, the Damned trying to escape the pits of despair and find their way to Heaven.

A series of shrieks caught the Cullens' attention, and they were horrified to see a large, square cage of about ten feet, suspended over the dance floor. It was full of screaming men and women—humans.

"Dear, Lord." Esme gasped and turned her face into Carlisle's shoulder. Rather than submit her to the horrors that he knew would be found within the crowds, the Cullen patriarch excused himself and Esme, and the two of them vanished outside.

It was a good thing they did, because at that moment, a vampire crawled up the wall and shoved a long stick into one of the openings. While the majority of the humans scurried out of the way, one unlucky man was speared through the heart. His blood rained down on the dance floor, where vampires and humans alike laughed and danced in the downpour. Even during his darkest times, Edward had never experienced something so dark, so brutal. He had hunted murderers, rapists, and pedophiles, but this level of depravity was new to him. The thought of Bella being anywhere near this place made him sick to his stomach.

As the music changed to something faster, the Cullens separated and began mingling with their kind. Unfortunately, the local vampires were wary of newcomers and weren't receptive to the questions they were being asked. There were a few humans that started chatting with them, unfortunately, they were so addled by drugs and alcohol that they could hardly speak. It was difficult not to be disheartened, but they kept pushing. They had to find something. Someone had to know something.

Rather than continue trying to make friends with everyone, Emmett left the dance floor and took a seat at the bar. He was surprised to see that the bartender was a human. Perhaps he was a slave to one of the vampire lords. Carlisle had told him that humans worked for vampires in hopes of becoming one.

"Hello, friend," the man said with very little warmth. There was something off about him, but Emmett couldn't put his finger on it. "What can I get you?"

"Do you have grizzly?" Emmett asked, more as a joke than anything. If this place served blood, which he was relatively sure they did, it was unlikely that they would cater to his vegetarian diet.

However, the bartender smiled, opened a cooler, and produced a small jar full of a dark red liquid. The label on the outside said _grizzly. _ "We don't get much call for this. It's a little pricey."

"You're my type of bartender," Emmett said joyously and took the jar. "What do I call you?"

He smirked sideways, almost wickedly. "My name is Declan—but my friends call me Dex."

Emmett took a large gulp of the blood and fought the urge to spit it out. He knew the difference between blood that had been sitting in the fridge for a long time and straight from the jugular blood. He finished it quickly, trying not to notice the temperature and diminished taste. His hunt back in Forks had been cut short before he could take down anything of value. He wasn't starving, but he was far from sated.

Dex watched the strange, yellow-eyed vampire with a mixture of rapt interest and suspicion. He had come across only a handful of leeches with golden eyes in his existence, and their presence always seemed to precede trouble—and death.

"Nice to meet you, Dex," Emmett said cheerfully after finishing his drink. "I'm Emmett."

"Charmed," Dex responded in a monotone voice before tossing the glass in the small dishwasher by his feet. When that was done, he leaned forward and stated, "I haven't had the pleasure of serving someone with your eye color before."

Emmett gave the bartender a non-committal shrug. "I'm a rarity."

"Indeed." Dex paused momentarily. "Where do you hail from?"

Emmett leaned back and placed his hands behind his head, feigning a relaxed position. He was far from relaxed, though. "Northwest. Around Seattle."

Dex nodded. "What brought you down south?"

Emmett, though dense at times, was not incompetent. He knew that he was a stranger in a strange land, and that fact could very well get him killed. With that in mind, he smiled broadly and answered, "Just a vacation. I needed to get away, and a friend of mine said this city was really cool."

Dex could tell he was lying. The vampires who resided in this city would never bring in outsiders. "Would you like another?"

"Why not?" Emmett shrugged. Although the taste of the blood was not very ripe, he would choke it down if it meant lowering the bartender's guard and gaining some information. "So how long have you lived here?"

"Not as long as others," Dex answered cryptically as he poured the blood.

"And how long have you worked for vampires?" He didn't mean for his question to sound quite so accusatory, but the sharp look Emmett received from the bartender told him that he had.

Returning the bottle to the cooler, Dex seethed, "What makes you think I work for the vampires?"

"Dude. Seriously?" He gestured to the nightclub and to the bottles of blood behind the bar. However, as he sensed Dex's growing irritation, he tried to backpedal. "I'm not trying to be rude, bro. I just can't remember the last time I saw a human working in a place like this."

"Human?" Dex had to be careful not to spit the word. Upon realizing the Emmett was absolutely ignorant to him and his species, he caught himself feeling momentarily humored by him. Shaking his head, he smirked. "It does seem like an odd arrangement, yeah?"

"Little bit."

"What can I say? The money is good."

Emmett could only laugh as he swallowed more of the tasteless blood. It helped repel his gag reflex. He wiped the excess blood from his lips and Dex carted his glass away. There was something strange about him, but Emmett couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that he was a human bartender at a club that served human blood, or maybe it was because he was ridiculously tall—seriously, the guy was easily six and a half feet tall. Then again, it may have been the fact that Dex seemed completely at ease. As a predator, Emmett was skilled at detecting fear, and Dex was giving off nothing. He wasn't afraid in the least.

From where he was sitting, Emmett saw Edward trying to coax a group into speaking with him, but they turned and skittered away. He cursed before trying again with the next group. Although it was his brother's actions that had brought them there, Emmett couldn't help but feel bad for him. He had Rose; Carlisle had Esme; Jasper had Alice. For the longest time, Edward had no one. He put aside his frustration and changed the tune of his conversation with Dex.

"So is the stereotype of bartenders being therapists true?" Emmett leaned forward.

Dex paused, his features betraying nothing to Emmett. "You need information."

"If you have the kind I need." Emmett fished Bella's picture from his pocket and held it in his hands as he explained, "I'm looking for someone. A girl. She's eighteen, about five foot five, long dark brown hair, and she's incapable of walking a straight line without falling." He put the picture on the bar. "This is her. Her name's Bella Swan. She moved here about six months ago. It's important that I find her."

As her name had left Emmett's lips, Dex's eyes had fallen to the picture in front of him, and at that moment, he was thankful for his ability to maintain a calm façade.

He looked at the picture with as much indifference as he could muster and shrugged. "Sorry. I don't know anyone by that description." Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

Emmett cursed under his breath. "Do you know anyone who might know? We've been asking around and haven't found anything."

"We?" Dex's interest piqued. "There are more of you?"

Realizing his error, he tried to dig himself out of the hole he had created by amending his words with, "Just me and one of my brothers."

Unfortunately, Dex could see right through Emmett's attempt to backtrack and it set him on edge. The last golden-eyed vampire that he had crossed had almost killed someone he cared deeply for, and as he inhaled deeply and tasted the scent of the leech in front of him, there was a slight similarity in their scents. Although it had been over 300 years since then, Dex could still recall the odor of _his_ venom. It was a memory that would never fade away. It was irrelevant to even spare one thought toward _that_ leech, though. If he hadn't turned up after three centuries, Dex was confident that he had be eliminated in one way or another.

"I see," Dex answered after a long pause. "Well, unfortunately, I can't think of anyone who could, or for that matter, would help you. Generosity isn't common in these parts. And, speaking from experience, Emmett, this isn't the place to be asking about people who have disappeared. You'll find it's an easy way to find yourself in a fiery pit."

Emmett put the picture away with a heavy sigh. "I was afraid of that. Well, I appreciate your time. Thanks, man."

There was something about the disillusioned Emmett that struck a chord with Dex. He had never cared for leeches, even the ones that they had developed a rapport with, but this one was different. He wrote it off internally, though, and returned to the task at hand. There was nothing to be gained by fraternizing with the enemy.

Feigning the duties of a bartender, he picked up two black bags of trash and left the bar. He passed the large mass of undulating bodies, the bloodletting spectacle at the center, and found his way to a back corridor, which led to a long hallway. It was there, that he pushed open a door that led to the outside world. He dropped the bags just outside the door, and to the unknowing observer, he checked up and down the shadows of the back alley. He casually ignored the brief toss in his hair, as well as the swift moving shadows that slipped easily through the open threshold, and with a sinister smirk, he closed the door.

Emmett had retreated to a corner bar table and was in the middle of staring at Bella's portrait. He had always gone out of his way to make her laugh, but even he had to wonder if he had gone too far. Perhaps she had been unable to see the tenderness and love that had laced through his teasing. It didn't matter anymore, or so he thought. From what information they had gathered, Bella was dead. He bit back the tears that wouldn't come and silently apologized to Edward, who he realized had probably been listening.

From his periphery, he could see Dex returning from taking out the trash. He growled, and for the first time, he regretted his immortality. Emmett wanted to get drunk, really drunk, so drunk that he passed out in a puddle of his own vomit. It was impossible, though. Alcohol would sit in his stomach until he was forced to regurgitate it, but the venom in his system prevented the effects from hitting him.

And there was no forgetting, either. All memories that came after the Change would always be there—in perfect clarity. He looked up from the table and returned the picture of Bella to his wallet, where it had been ever since he had stolen it from Edward's room. It would stay that way until Time ravaged it, but she would forever be in his heart.

The music changed again. This time to some techno beat. As Emmett looked around the wide space, he couldn't even begin to imagine Bella in a place like that. Why on earth would Edward's connection at the high school have sent them to this horrid pit of depravity? There was no way she would have stepped foot in a place like that, not willingly, anyway.

However, as Emmett began to despair over his lost sister, a slight movement at the bar caught his eye. Dex was speaking to a girl in a language he couldn't identify, which was strange. Although Emmett hadn't set out to learn every language on the planet, he could at least identify them. The words coming from Dex's mouth sounded like a derivative of Gaelic, but they were different, almost guttural in their pronunciation. His brow indented as he unsuccessfully tried to translate them by comparing them to modern Gaelic. What was it?

Emmett turned his head, and at the same time, the woman that Dex had been conversing with shifted in his direction. In that moment, Emmett's long frozen heart felt as though it were on fire. Was it a mirage? Wishful thinking? Had his grief caused him to go insane?

Their eyes met, and he gasped. "Bella?"

**Author's Note: I cannot respond to questions left by "guest" reviewers. If you genuinely want your question answered, you have to sign-in. **


	2. Author's Note

Author's Note: I hate doing these, but since there's no way to broadcast this message, I have to resort to this. I have updated the prologue with some new content, mainly the part with Emmett and Dex. Chapter One is coming along slowly, very slowly. I'm still at only three pages. I want it to be upward of 15 or 20 pages. Right now, nothing is coming to me, though, as a result of Finals. The only thing I ask is that you be patient. Also, as indicated in the author's note at the bottom of the new prologue, I cannot respond to guest reviews. If you want an answer to your question, you have to sign-in.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I could hear them panting from almost a mile away, could hear the slopping, wet sounds as they gorged their bellies on a pair of innocent victims in a back alley. Vampires always feasted so loudly; I could still hunt them down if I were blind. Their breath is naturally heady and erratic when they feed, almost like the panting of a dog, and their odor is unmistakable. I could almost see it wafting through the air as I stalked them from above, my naval barely touching the flat surface of the rooftop. My approach was slow, calculated and careful. My breath was a steady pattern, rhythmic, and would not give away my position. The clothes on my back were damp and clung mercilessly to my body, evidence of the most recent downpour. It did not deter me. My concentration remained affixed to what I was after. My kill; my prey.

Ever so slowly, I pulled myself atop an overhang outcrop, which overlooked a tightly packed alleyway below, and I smiled wickedly as I discovered what I had been after for almost an hour. Both of their scents had appeared outside of a bar on the north side of town, and I had tracked them all the way to the docks. Each was bent over a limp human body, a tiny pool of blood collecting at the base of the collapsed forms, and both were growling softly. I shook my head in disapproval at their sloppy eating habits and choice of venue. So many leeches brought their kills here; it was almost a stereotype at this point.

As I continued to observe, one of the bloodsuckers pulled the corpse into his arms and I heard a harrowing crunch as the bones snapped under the pressure of his grip.

"Keep it down." The other leech stopped drinking long enough to scold his companion. Almost as though he had heard something, his neck snapped to the side, and he inhaled deeply. I had purposely placed myself downwind to prevent being detected. "We're not supposed to be doing this. D'you wanna burn?"

"Stop being so paranoid," the other responded with a biting hiss. He shoved the body away as it was now devoid of blood, and he pulled his sleeve across his mouth to clear away the excess. "No one's seen those hunters in months. They've probably moved on. I say good riddance."

Having grown bored, I rolled over the edge, twisting silently through the air, and I landed in between them. They each let loose their most terrifying snarl, but I was not afraid. As one took a step closer to me, my right foot came out and caught him in the cheek, sending him spiraling into a brick wall, which promptly caved under his weight. Shifting to the next, who was rushing toward me, I fell to my knees, allowing him to sail over my head. I took advantage of his weakness and clawed at his expose stomach, covering my hands in his venom.

I recovered and rose to my feet, finding the leech bent over at the waist as he cradled his wounds. While I could have drawn out the fight a bit more, I was starving and wanted it over quickly. The leech's head had just separated from his neck when I felt something hit me from behind, knocking me off balance. Almost instantly, the second vamp's hands found my throat, and I snarled when his nails dug into the flesh there, spilling my blood.

"All alone, are we?" He sneered, pulling me off the ground and bringing my face close to his. I could smell the venom beneath his skin and it made my mouth water. "No one to help you?"

I snarled and kicked his stomach with both my feet. He whirled backward and I was on his instantly. "What makes you think I need help?"

My teeth sank into his jugular, ripping his carotid artery wide open, and the icy liquid poured into my mouth. His appendages thrashed relentlessly as he pathetically tried to save himself, but I held on. I greedily gulped down the sustenance that flowed from his body, the satisfaction overwhelming me. After only a few moments, he stopped kicking and I was able to enjoy the rest of my meal in peace. After draining him and his companion, I rested against the alley wall, fully sated. My body felt electric with the venom flowing through my system. The feeling was intoxicating.

As I came back to my senses, I stood and tossed a match on the decimated remains of the humans and leeches. The residual venom ignited immediately, and the bright red flames rendered the bodies into a pile of ash. As soon as the embers had cooled and wisped off into the night air, I jumped up and found myself on the closest rooftop, the one that I had been hiding on prior to the hunt. I reclined against the rough surface and gazed up at the black sky above me, inhaling and exhaling the pollution-filled oxygen.

Jacksonville. Not just any Jacksonville, though. Jacksonville, Florida after a heavy rainstorm. An arid musk filled the world after it rained in this coastal city. Every ounce of depravity seemed to rise up after the sky had cleared. At least, that's how it was for me.

Speaking of me, it had been almost four months to the day since I had charged across the shipyards and sacrificed my life for Shiloh's. Four months since she had pulled me back from the brink and turned me into a Walker—a vampire hunter. Since then, life as I knew it had changed drastically. Instead of waking up early to lose myself in my educational pursuits, or wasting away with the thoughts of the leeches from my past and the abandonment they had caused, I spent my days and evenings combing through the city streets for errant vampires. I had feared that I would lament the loss of my human ties, or regret the loss of my life as a student, but nothing could have been farther from the truth.

I loved my life as a Walker. While the majority of my time was spent learning what was expected of me, I was given leave to do as I pleased. After returning from the Swedish Colony, I had been put through some of the hardest trials and tests I had ever experienced. Shiloh had changed from a sympathetic friend to a hard-edged commander. She accepted nothing less than perfection, and although the first few days had me second guessing my decision, I found myself growing stronger, my senses becoming even more enhanced that they already were. She transformed me from a weakling into something unstoppable—a force of nature.

As a line of clouds rolled in and a few errant drops of water fell on me, I closed my eyes and smiled. It was moments like this, when the clouds were too thick to see the sky and the air was filled with the scent of the coming rain, that I could almost remember my human life. The memories were sparse, patchy, and I wasn't entirely sure they were real—but it didn't matter. They were something. Some connection to a world—a life—I couldn't always remember.

It hadn't always been like that. When I had first opened my eyes and taken my first breath as a Walker, my mind had been an open book, with memories ripe for the picking. However as time slipped by, and I had begun focusing more on developing my skills than recalling the names of family, friends, and other trivial things, I slowly began to lose them. After a few weeks of this, I was shocked to discover many of my memories from my human life were all but extinguished.

There were certain things I retained with slight clarity—my parents, the way each of them had made me feel, and a few hints at conversations that we may have had at some point—but everything else was a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces had been scattered in a hurricane of epic proportions. Shiloh had assured me that I would be able to focus more on my mental recall after I had grown accustomed to my heightened senses, and I believed her—but that didn't mean I wasn't frustrated. I felt inept standing next to the others, still viewed myself as inferior. I had come so far, and yet, I was still a long way from those around me.

Through the cloud of self-depreciation and surreal memories of places I may have once called home, there came a wave of anxiety paired with a strange feeling that I had forgotten something… something important. It wasn't anything new. Each time I attempted to reconnect the dots between my past and present, I had felt it. It was always there, waiting for me—except I had no idea what "it" was. What was I forgetting that was so important? What was my subconscious demanding that I remember?

I raked my hands through my hair and looked up at the sky. It was still dark out, but there were hints of color on the Eastern horizon, teasing the city with the hope of daylight. A thick line of clouds were hovering there, threatening the chance of yet another gloomy day. There were moments, much like the current one, where I would stare up at the sky and feel something. Was it a longing? An emptiness? Or was it completion? Wholeness? A sense of belonging? I had no way of knowing. Even now, as I took a deep breath and tasted the moisture in the air, I felt sad. Why? I had no clue.

All at once, my concentration was broken by a soft, familiar chuckle coming from the South. My eyes swept across the immediate vicinity in pursuit of its source, and that was when I saw him. He was leaning against a water tower three blocks down, the light reflecting off of his eyes in a hauntingly beautiful manner. Even though Tobin was supposed to be keeping a watchful eyes on me, this was the first time I had seen him in almost four hours. That was his way, though, and to be honest, I had no complaint. Unlike the others, he allowed me the freedom to breathe and hunt on my own.

Before I could comment on his sudden appearance, he bounded through the air, sailing through the open space between the buildings and coming to rest ten feet from me. His boots hit the cement roof with a soft plop, but it was enough to send a sharp crack jutting out from the impact point. He wasn't paying attention; his eyes were focused on me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, striding forward and taking a seat in front of me. When I offered a noncommittal answer, he shook his head. "You're not an angst-ridden human any more. Honesty is a requirement in our life. Tell me what's wrong."

I sighed and gazed up at the stars. "I don't remember anything before I became a Walker. It's frustrating."

"It's also irrelevant," he interjected firmly, his steely gaze becoming too sharp for me. "Look at me, Bella. I care a great deal about you and it pains me, as well as the others, to see you torturing yourself over memories that hold no importance."

"How do I know they weren't important, though?" I inquired, my voice treading dangerously close to the whining spectrum. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. "Isn't there anything I can do to get them back?"

"The best thing you can do is to be patient. If they're meant to return, they will. What's that old human adage? Something about letting something go, and if it comes back, it is yours?" I stared at him blankly. "Either way. You get my point. The sooner you stop listening to the panicky remnants of your humanity, the better off you will be."

Despite the wounds his brutal honesty had given me, I knew he was right. I had to stop dwelling on my past. What had it gotten me thus far? Nothing but frustration and anger. So if that was the case, why did I continue? Why was I so obsessed with unlocking my past? Moreover, why did my subconscious seem so driven for me to remember? Sensing my growing tension, Tobin stretched out his arm and hooked it around my shoulder, pulling me close to him and kissing my forehead. I smiled and allowed my head to rest on his shoulder. Underneath his rough exterior and angry façade, Tobin was my brother, my friend.

We stayed like that for a while, watching as the sun emerged from the ocean and cast its golden glow over the city. This was no ordinary day, though. Tobin and I both growled as a series of shrieks and snarls echoed through the city. The vampires' cries of rejoice were nothing short of a Herald of Death. Today was day one of _Fuil_ _Aimsir_, which meant for the next seven days, the vampires could feed freely and we were forbidden from interceding.

It was one of the necessary evils of our existence, and although the very thought of the bloodshed that would occur in the coming week filled my heart with sorrow and my mind with thoughts of death, I had to abide by the agreement. Still, the fact that they were celebrating, the fact that they would enjoy it, the fact that they would ruin someone's life—it filled me with an undeniable rage.

So, without hesitation, I rushed to the side of the building, leaving Tobin where he was sitting, and I screamed. No. That's the wrong word. I roared. A deep, bellowing sound cut through my lungs, mixing my rage and grief together with a series of emotions I couldn't identify or explain. The sound reverberated through the alleys, against buildings, and was soon carried back to my own lungs. By that time, I realized that the howls of the vampires had ceased completely.

The city had fallen silent.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I fully plan on lengthening this chapter as I did with the prologue. I just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't forgotten you! <strong>


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